Prediction, Game Preview, and Betting Lines for Cal vs. Wake Forest

Who wants to make it to the bowl game alive?

Now 4-4 and back in the running, Wake Forest won two straight road games. However, with road games at North Carolina and Miami coming up before the final game against Duke, it might be do-or-die time.

A win at Stanford two weeks ago helped it beat a Bay Area team. Now it needs to beat another team.

The last time Cal played, they lost four games in a row. But they beat Oregon State 44–7, and now it is time to roll. Syracuse comes to town, and Stanford is just up the road for the Bears. But the last game of the regular season is at SMU.

Cal vs Wake Forest: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Friday, November 8, 2024
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
How to Watch: ACC Network
Venue: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC
Teams: Wake Forest (4-4), Cal (4-4)

Why Cal Will Win

It was easy for Cal to throw the ball, and Wake Forest’s pass defense is terrible.

75% of Fernando Mendoza’s passes went for yards, which was his best game of the season. He threw for 364 yards against the Beavers. Before that, he made 72% of his throws against NC State and 73% against Pitt.

Wake Forest gives up 288 passing yards per game, which is 128th in the country. The pass rush does not do much to help the defense.

Do not be afraid of the Demon Deacon pass rush. Third down stops are only a rumor.

Why Wake Forest Will Win

QB Hank Bachmeier of the Demon Deacons should be able to keep up with the speed.

He is not hitting the ball as well as Mendoza this season, but he is making more long balls to keep the offense going. Being exact is important here.

Cal is 0-3 when they let quarterbacks hit 59% or more, and 4-1 when they let them hit less than 52%. This year, Bachmeier is making 63% of his throws, Cal’s pass rush is hit or miss, and

Cal vs Wake Forest: Who Will Win?

Also, Cal’s running game is important.

To go over it again, the Bears can not get enough going on the ground and the passing attack has been all about that lately. But this will be more balanced.

Because they can attack in different ways and are likely to have a +2 turnover margin, they will finally get their first ACC win.